Page 71 of Grace on the Rocks

On second thought, it was probably for the best there was no tub, or she might be forced to drown herself to end the tidal wave of embarrassment now battering against her.LuckyforGrace, humiliation didn’t leave visible bruising.

She slid down the door to sit on the floor as, out in the living room,Bryantook another whack at the wall, and this time she couldn’t decide if she was shaking or the bathroom was.

Who really wasBryanMacNeil?Wasthis care package an overreaction to his disgust at the idea of her being on her period?He’dhidden it well last night, but what man wasn’t completely grossed out at the very thought, let alone willing to set foot in the women’s health aisle?

She tried to pictureDiegobuying products forMathilda, but he’d already left home by the timeGraceexperienced her first, so the image was as incongruous as her own father would have been.He’dhad to ask their neighbor to takeGraceto the drugstore because her mom was working a double shift.

There was a knock at the door.

“Sorry,Gray, you going to be long?Ihave to pee so bad it’s about to shoot out my ears,”Wescalled.

Grace scrambled to her feet and opened the door.

“You okay?”Wesasked, looking her over in concern.

“Fantastic,”Gracelied.

Wes eyed her skeptically but got distracted by the big honking menstruation basket. “Ohhh, this is so nice!Perfecttiming too.Wereyou all done?Ifyou want to shower,IpromiseI’llbe quick.”

“It’s fine.Takeyour time,”Gracesaid, backing out of the lavatory.

“Okay, but hey, we still need to talk about your birthday.”

“I really don’t think we do.”

“Come on,”Wesbegged. “Anythingyou want,I’llmake it happen.Goto the mainland and see a show?I’llbuy tickets.FlytoLondonand repatriate the stolen shit from their museums?Saythe word.Findsome stones and travel through time?I’llcall a guy.”

“You know me,Idon’t do birthdays.”

“Gray.”

“I’m on a deadline,” she said, taking another step back. “AllIwant is to finish my book in peace!IfImanage that, we can do whatever you want.”

“I don’t accept that.Youhave the rest of your life for deadlines.Youonly turn thirty once.”

“It’s just a day.”

“Besides your twenty-first, when’s the last time you had a party?”

“I don’t know.Thirteenor fourteen.Ididn’t have a party for my twenty-first,”Graceprotested.Whata weird thing to say.Wesof all people should remember the only party that summer was the one celebrating random holidays, partying for the sake of partying.

Wes pressed her lips into a straight line.

“Panda-monium?Thatwas to celebrateYaLi’stwins… andInternationalChickenWingDayandWorldUFODay…”Gracereminded her.

Scrunching up her nose,Wessaid, “Nodisrespect to the pandas, but that’s what we told you it was for.”

Grace opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what to say.Herfriends had thrown her such a surprise party that she was still surprised nine years later?Shewas so anti-birthday they had to trick her into celebrating?Hadthey been laughing at her ever since?

“I honestly thought you knew and were just playing along,”Wessaid.

Grace looked up at her friend’s sweet, perplexed face. “Didn’tyou need to pee?” she asked.

“I’ve basically gone numb,”Wesadmitted. “Pleasedon’t be mad about this.Don’tturn it into a whole thing.”

Grace shut the door onWesleyand turned around, right into the sweaty chest of the hammer-wieldingScotsman.Shesqueaked and scurried back to her room before he could say a word or flex his biceps.

But at least now there was plenty of awkward fodder to fuel the next chapter of her book.ExceptunlikeGrace,Mayaalways had the perfect pithy comeback right on the tip of her tongue.

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